The Detailed and the Surreal with Annelie Carlström

In outstanding detail, Annelie Carlström creates her character-driven illustrations that easily inhabit the realms of both the surreal and the highly realistic.

Whether through a play with proportions or perspective, Annelie takes away any overly serious tone that might come with exceptionally beautiful pencil drawings, and adds in element of fun and playfulness.

We love the dual nature of her work in this way, on one hand demonstrating a high level of drawing skill, while on the other doing so with the freedom to embrace the humour in it all.

“My name is Annelie Carlström and I have been working as an full-time illustrator/artist since I graduated from Beckmans College of Design in 2007, after several years of art-studies at among others Nyckelviksskolan.”

“I live and work in Stockholm, where I also was born. I work with a 0.5 pencil to make detailed illustrations which are a mix of naturalism and naivism, seriousness and humor.”

“I draw everything in pencil and then use Photoshop to finish the illustration. For me, the expression is everything, the mood, the feeling, the line.”

“During my career, I’ve mainly been working with portraits but the past few years I’ve also worked with more decorative illustrations and patterns.”

“I have worked with a wide range of clients, for example: Arket, HSBC, & Other Stories, The Sunday Times, H&M, Random House Publishing, Moderna Museet in Sweden, De Volkskrant Magazine, First Aid Kit, Amnesty International, Elle Singapore.”